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| | Tradition With a Twist Party |
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By Shelly Radic
 Invitations: Write party information on inflated balloon with permanent marker. Deflate and mail.
Decorations: Streamers twisted from ceiling to floor in the center and corners of room. Balloons tied together on four long strings and hung from center to room corners.
Food: Ice cream slices and ice cream cone cupcakes
Ice cream cone cupcakes: Place flat-bottomed ice cream cones into a cupcake tin. Place crumpled strips of foil around each cone to prevent tipping. Prepare one box cake mix according to package instructions. Fill cones halfway and then bake according to cupcake instructions. When cool, remove from pan and frost. Add sprinkles and a maraschino cherry.
Craft: Zany birthday hats. Cut an 18” diameter circle of felt. Cut a slit from one outside edge to center. Overlap cut edges, and glue to form a cone-shaped hat that fits child’s head. Cuff bottom edge. Provide guests with a variety of felt shapes, pompoms, glitter, and feathers to decorate.
Games:
- Pin the Heart on the Birthday Child. Ask the birthday child to stand against a wall. Give each guest a large heart sticker to stick on birthday child. Children less than four would rather shut their eyes than wear a blindfold.
- Musical Cushions. Play like musical chairs except use pillows or cushions. After each round eliminate a cushion but not a guest. Eventually everyone must try and fit on one cushion!
- Hot Foot Potato. Form a circle with one volunteer, eyes shut, standing in the center. Throw out a balloon “potato” and have guests kick to each other. When the center guest calls out Hot Foot, whoever is closest to the “potato” must go into the center for the next round. Have several balloons on hand.
- Frozen Bean Bag Toss. Divide guests into teams. Supply each team with a package of frozen beans. Teams compete to determine who can throw the bean bag into a circle the most times in three minutes.
- Twister. Provide one or more plastic Twister mats depending on number of guests. Play as directed.
Favors: A slinky, licorice twists, and zany hat.
Looking for more birthday traditions for your preschooler’s special day? Check out Shelly’s article Creating Birthday Traditions.
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Shelly Radic is the Director of Group Life at MOPS International and also the author of The Birthday Book: Creative Ways to Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day. Having hosted more than forty children's birthday celebrations, and attended countless others, Shelly is delighted to provide parents with a wealth of birthday planning ideas.
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